I couldn't help but think of the recent "Obliterate or strategically use business travel?" post on the Work Literacy blog when reading this entry. Perhaps that reference seems a bit strange, but it was the "all or none" proposition of students "[opting] out of the public system" that brought it to mind. Just as there will always be a place for face-to-face meetings I think there will also probably always be a place for traditional in-person, instructor-led, group-based education. I think the key is to identify the most effective use of the approach -- to find its niche. But I do like the imagery of "the last student quietly turning out the classroom lights." :)